Look Who's back! (2023)

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• Publication: TV & Satellite Week
• Date: 2023-11-25
• Author: Steven Perkins
• Page: 4
• Language: English

DOCTOR WHO SPECIAL

Catherine Tate and David Tennant return to the TARDIS to celebrate Doctor Who's 60th anniversary

GETTY INTERVIEW DONE BEFORE THE US WRITERS' AND ACTORS' STRIKES

NEW SCI-FI Doctor Who Saturday, 6.30pm, BBC1

When viewers sat down to enjoy the first episode of a new science fiction serial called Doctor Who on 23 November 1963, nobody could have anticipated they were witnessing the birth of a TV icon.

Now, six decades and (at least) 13 regenerations later, Doctor Who returns with three specials in celebration of the show's 60th anniversary.

The most recent episode, The Power of the Doctor, which aired in October 2022, ended with the 13th Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) regenerating into the 14th - who looked very much like his 10th incarnation. The Doctor reacted to his new body in a state of shock - and viewers were left with a lot of questions...

'I don't think anybody knew for certain how that episode was going to end. It was as surprising to some people as it was to the Doctor himself!' David Tennant*, 52, says who returns to the role of the Doctor for this mini-season alongside Catherine Tate, who plays former companion Donna Noble, as well as Doctor Who's showrunner from 2005 to 2010, Russell T. Davies. 'Russell had this idea for a one-off special where the Doctor and Donna are reunited. I'm not sure what the exact next steps were from there, but suddenly

I was coming back for not one, but three specials. With Russell at the helm again, it all happened relatively quickly.

The Doctor and Donna's original parting in the 2008 episode Journey's End was particularly bittersweet: Donna had saved the world by absorbing the Doctor's regenerative energy, but it had overwhelmed her human body and the Doctor was forced to save her life by wiping her memories of their time together, warning her family that if she ever remembered him, it would kill her.

ABSOLUTE TREAT

Exactly how Donna survives her reintroduction to the Doctor remains a closely-guarded secret for now, but Tennant was delighted to be back on set with Tate once more. 'Catherine is a deep joy and has been from the first moment we ever worked together,' he says. 'We keep coming back to these characters, whether that's in audio books or now in these special episodes, because it just feels so comfortable and joyous. I was very happy that the Doctor and Donna reunite, and that we have these new stories to tell.

The 14th Doctor's tenure is destined to be a short one, with Ncuti Gatwa's first adventure in the TARDIS scheduled for this Christmas, with former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson joining the show as new companion Ruby Sunday. However, Tennant was nonetheless thrilled to have the opportunity to take the TARDIS for one last spin. 'It has been a pleasure getting the band back together, to re-create a moment that had been so special to us, he says. 'Catherine and I knew that Ncuti and Millie were going to be the new Doctor and companion, so in a way it took a bit of the pressure off, knowing we were only back for a short time. "Then you get Russell's script, and he's writing Doctor Who with this surge of ideas and different ways of telling this story. It was an absolute treat - how could we possibly say no?'

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REGENERATION GAME

Showrunner Russell T. Davies on returning to Doctor Who

How excited are you to be back?

I'm enormously excited to show these episodes to people because I'm so proud of them. I think it's Doctor Who at its best-it's fun, lively and there are big laughs and great scares in it.

How challenging was it to keep the plot a secret while filming?

The fans queue in the wind, rain and snow to catch a glimpse of David Tennant whizzing past. But there's a lot of filming in secret they never know aboutthey never find out about anything indoors!

What can you reveal about the aliens that feature in the first special, The Star Beast?

There's The Meep, voiced by Miriam Margolyes, pursued by monsters called the Wrarth Warriors, who are from an old Doctor Who comic strip from the 80s. They're great big monsters with red eyes and laser guns - exactly what you want!

Can you tease anything about the new-look TARDIS interior?

You are going to see the most beautiful TARDIS you've ever seen in your life. That's not just hype-when you see it, you'll go, 'Oh my God, he was right!'

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WHO'S WHO

The Doctor David Tennant

Despite looking like the 10th incarnation, this latest form is a discrete identity - but what's the reason for this unprecedented quirk of his regeneration?

Donna Noble Catherine Tate

Following her adventures with the Doctor, Donna has lived happily with her family, yet she has a feeling she's forgotten about an amazing experience.

Shaun Temple

Karl Collins Donna's husband is an unflappable taxi driver whose calmness is the perfect foil for his wife's hyperactivity. His family is his primary concern.

Rose Temple-Noble Yasmin Finney

Donna and Shaun's daughter is unaware of her mum's time-travelling days, but she's about to have an alien encounter of her own.

Sylvia Noble Jacqueline King

Donna's mother is all too aware of the deadly threat the Doctor poses to Donna's life - and is determined that he isn't to be allowed near her...

The Meep Voiced by Miriam Margolyes

A cute, furry alien with expressive eyes and a soft voice, The Meep arrives on Earth to seek protection from armed pursuers.

Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org

• APA 6th ed.: Perkins, Steven (2023-11-25). Look Who's back! (2023). TV & Satellite Week p. 4.
• MLA 7th ed.: Perkins, Steven. "Look Who's back! (2023)." TV & Satellite Week [add city] 2023-11-25, 4. Print.
• Chicago 15th ed.: Perkins, Steven. "Look Who's back! (2023)." TV & Satellite Week, edition, sec., 2023-11-25
• Turabian: Perkins, Steven. "Look Who's back! (2023)." TV & Satellite Week, 2023-11-25, section, 4 edition.
• Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Look Who's back! (2023) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Look_Who%27s_back!_(2023) | work=TV & Satellite Week | pages=4 | date=2023-11-25 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 April 2025 }}</ref>
• Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Look Who's back! (2023) | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Look_Who%27s_back!_(2023) | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=30 April 2025}}</ref>